What Is Your Pick For Best Detector Or Manufacturer?

[Goldpick]

Mmm, manufacturers that are on the leading edge - I'd have to say XP, as many manufacturers are trying emulate the success of the Deus, with some still trying to play catch up, and with varied rates of success.  The other would have to be Minelab with its patented technologies, there's no getting around the fact that they have cornered the gold detecting market with innovative tech and well engineered detectors.

As a whole, I think many of the manufacturers are starting to wake up to what the consumer wants or expects from a detector, vs what the manufacturer thinks is right for the consumer.  This is reflected in by allowing testing and developmental input by the detecting community vs being soley done by in-house testers.  Take Nokta/Makro as a prime example.

My main detector for coin/relic detecting is of course the Deus, chosen to replace the Explorer SE Pro and Etrac due to both the ability, weight and excellent ergonomics, and being somewhat future proofed.  My backups are the Makro Racer 2, Teknetics G2 and the F75 - jury is still out on the F75 at this stage.

I rarely prospect, hence have a Garrett Infinium and White SPP gathering dust in my shed.  The Infinium gets an odd run at the beach until I get sick of digging bobby pins and tent pegs. 

What should manufacturers incorporate into their detectors?  Usual stuff - lack of weight, miniaturisation of the electronics, improved ergonomics, full wireless capability, ditch alkaline batteries and go Lithium polymer, and make detectors fully updatable by the end user. Generally speaking, make good use of current available technology on offer.

[madtuna]

As a wise bloke and brilliant prospector once told me, for finding gold, there is Minelab and then there is daylight. For here in Australia at least.

As for Picks, the best I have ever used are made by Davsgold.

[Reg Wilson]

Ùntil the end of 2016, my choice was the GPZ 7000, however, I was lucky enough to be approached to test a new Australian made detector, the QED. It only took a few days to adapt to the new machine, and I soon began finding gold with it. I found that my 7000 was being used less and less as I became more familiar with the QED. The QED weighs a fraction of the 7000, and has very comparable depth, with very sharp signal response. Any Minelab compatible mono coil can be used, my favourites being the 11" Coiltek Elite for smaller gold, and the 25"Nuggetfinder for greater coverage, and greater depth.

 The GPZ is a detector that has really great signal definition, and has good depth especially if the ground is mild enough to run it in 'normal' setting, but the weight was beginning to tell on me as I have had a broken wrist from a motorcycle accident some years ago. The Z had found me quite a lot of gold, including a 27.75 oz nugget last year, but it had to go as my wrist pain would keep me awake at night after a days detecting, even with the bungee cord I found that changing direction at the end of each swing was tiresome because of the inertia build up due to the weight. It felt like trying to turn a tug boat around, and the 19"coil was far worse.

I would like like to see Minelab start to take ergonomics into consideration, and design detectors specifically for prospectors rather that modified military monsters, for which we are expected to be eternally grateful.

[Reg Wilson]

KiwiJW, I'm afraid I could not adapt to, nor feel comfortable using the hip stick. I don't feel we should be trussed up like a pack animal. That is not my idea of prospecting. This is the twenty first century. The age of ergonomics.

[Andyy]

My favorite detector is the GPZ... one coil all ranges of gold.  Still wish there was a smaller coil option.   One can dream.  My favorite pick would be whichever one I manage not to lose.  I tend to lose one per year.  DOH!!

[ColonelDan]

In as much as 99% of my detecting is on our Florida beaches,  Minelab gets my nod...both Excal and CTX.  Multi frequency machines is the only way to go for me.  As for PI machines, yes they're great on saltwater beaches also but given that I'm about to celebrate my 70th birthday,  I don't relish digging 20 inches down for a bobby pin...especially in the hot Florida summer sun.

I've tried many different machines including my XP Deus (which design comes very close to state of the art in my view) but I always find my way back to the Minelabs...and I'm eagerly awaiting the fielding of the Equinox as a light weight travel machine and back up to my CTX.  If it does well on the beach, I'm in.

Just the view from my foxhole..

As a side note Steve, I'm new to your website and really enjoying these forums you've put together.  Outstanding job soldier!!

[Steve Herschbach]

On 3/14/2017 at 10:23 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

Yeah, I thought the thread was about digging picks so added a little to the title.

I am content with what the manufacturers are up to in general. I don't have a favorite company, to me it is the industry as a whole. Competition is heating up - that's good. We all have different ideas about how we would run their businesses if we were them but we sometimes forget that what we want is not always what makes them money. They are after all in business. Between all of them they are moving the ball forward, just each in their own way.

I just want more emphasis on ergonomics.

My favorite prospecting detector? That's easy, GPZ 7000.

Favorite all purpose? I am still struggling with that one.

Looks like I can answer the favorite all purpose part now - Minelab Equinox.

I started with White’s. Then I switched to being a Compass guy. Then I turned into a Fisher fan. Then back to White’s and then back again to Fisher. Then a brief side trip with Garrett. Then back to White’s before finally moving on to Minelab. I gave Nokta/Makro and XP a spin the last few years, and now with Equinox arriving I am pretty firmly in the Minelab camp at this time. I don’t know that they are the “best” manufacturer but they are in my opinion the one delivering real advancements to detector technology on a more regular basis than their competition as of late.

[Nuke em]

On 3/14/2017 at 3:27 PM, MikePfeiffer said:

I am writing this in hopes that some metal detector manufacturers will read this and see what is wanted by the people in the field.

What manufacturer to you think is on the leading edge? (why)

What manufacture do you think needs a wake up call?

What is your favorite all purpose detector? (coin, jewelry, and relic)

What is your favorite prospecting detector?

What do you wish the manufacturers would incorporate in new machines?

I am not going to answer the question as I do not feel my knowledge base is at the level of the people on this forum. I still use a 30 year old detector. Everything I have read shows that this forum has the highest knowledge base of ones I have seen. Add any additional question that you think may be of interest.

Minelab.

Not because of past heavy machines but because of target i.d./tones and multi frequency . They are by far the best for the beach and many land sites. They produce the best Gold machines too and produce Mine Countermeasures gear too. 

Minelab. 

I think since the E.Trac and latter X.Terra's were released they have been sitting idle and that has let in all kinds of competition , whether it be Garrett Ace / AT machines or the XP Deus .

Maybe the new Equinox will be the start of the recovery of the brand . I never classed the CTX as a successful machine , it smacked of old style weighty and unfriendly menu machines. Minelab tried too hard to please a few instead of pleasing the many .

Minelab.

If on the beach then the X.Terra 705 with the 10.5 inch DD coil 7.5khts . That machine when i used it was absolutely brilliant at pulling out the coinage and at a reasonably lightweight and not a bad battery life gave me great service. It is a bit poor in build quality i think , the stems suffer after a while from chips and the camlocks break , also had speaker issues and the battery springs aren't the best. But as a detector it really punches above its weight on beaches .

On Land i would rate the E.Trac high along with the Explorer and Fisher 75 . But it does depend on targets and your swing speed. If slow then these if fast then the F75 or similar or the Deus .

I dont do prospecting but the 705 did find me a Pound coin at maybe 15 plus inches in prospecting mode last year which did make me surprised .

As for new ideas . Common sense and just give the machine the tools it needs and not too much silly bling . Also needs to be weatherproof , not to heavy and not expensive to maintain .

In my opinion the new Equinox is very close to the perfect machine .

Maybe the new installment that might ? replace the ET and CTX will up on that .

But no silly bling and dont show off , thats what the CTX looked like . The CTX will never be a classic because of that . The Explorer is and maybe the ET will be? 

Cant comment on many other makes due to being hardwired to Minelabs , used many others but they never lasted and i doubt i will buy other makes any more 

Oh one other make that isn't made anymore i did like , RED HEAT . Made by an absolute genius from Peckham London who is detecting in the gardens of Heaven Vik Fiveash. His machines were like a combination of XP and Tesoro/Laser  . Incredible for small targets and brilliant in Iron . 

Look on Youtube and look up Red Heat Tornado or XD 17 . 

Wish i kept mine.

 

[BeachHunter]

Started with the Excal so a big Minelab fan. I’m used to the tones of the Minelab’s so the new Equinox should be a perfect fit.